leafplasma said:
I look at this team and shake my head at how they are doing this. Must come all down to Eakins or our fringe prospects are better than we give them credit for.
I've had similar thoughts.
Now, I quickly agree that the lockout had something to do with it, but ...
The top 8 guys he had in ppg during the season (ignoring Stuart Percy's 4 games) are gone or up with the Leafs. The top ppgs on the team now are Spencer Abbott .60ppg and Mike Zigomanis .54ppg. He hasn't got a great AHL forward scorer in the bunch.
On the D, Eakins lost Gardiner (to be expected), Kostka, Fraser and for a fair period Holzer to the NHL - his top dmen.
He started the season with Scrivens, Rynnas & Ouwya in goal. He's ending it with McIntyre, Sparks, Rynnas (& Ouwya in the ECHL)
He's had 45 or so different players dress for the Marlies this season. Over 30 in the NHL is a lot.
Only 9 guys from his opening lineup are still playing for him.
I look at that line up and don't know how Eakins has done it and kept them winning games with such a turnover. 5th best in AHL win%. Sure and again, the lockout had something to do with the turnover and all AHL teams had to deal with some of that but this team has no established AHL stars left.
It's a collection of guys who can't score much, some NHL reject vets and some unproven kids. I don't see the kind of Calder Cup run they had last season but full credit to Eakins for getting what he has out of this group.
They can't stand in the way of him going to the NHL to coach but hopefully, they make him an offer that's tough to refuse because year after year, he seems to do a good job with what he's got to work with and when his players get called up, they seemed pretty well prepared.
